Top Gun
by Caithdean
Summary: Post end of series, Ranka has decided that Brera need to get off the couch and experience 'Life'. Fun and romance ensue, with rating for later yaoi chapters
1. Prologue

_**Title:**_ Top Gun

_**Chapter:**_ 00-Prologue

_**Series:**_ Macross Frontier

_**Pairing/s:**_ BreraxAlto

_**Rating:**_ M

After the threat to the Macross Frontier fleet had been taken care of, life had returned to normal. The S.M.S. pilots had returned to school and Sheryl and Ranka continued to sing. Since he had nowhere else to go, Ranka had invited Brera to stay in her home. And after watching him for a few weeks, Ranka concluded that her older brother was unhappy.

There was nothing that he said or did that showed this, but Ranka felt it all the same (call it women's intuition *cough*). Brera never asked for anything, never initiated anything. He always did as he was asked. He was so accommodating. Even if it was only with her, Ranka didn't know anyone else like that. She knew it wasn't normal, though 'normal' wasn't a word that could be applied to someone like Brera. Ranka worried, because he only gave, he never took. So she decided to make a project of it. She would find something that interested him, show him what it was like to be 'normal'…if she could. Then maybe she wouldn't worry about him so much. The plan started of with one simple, innocent question. Ranka Lee had just come home from her work as a pop star to find her older brother Brera Sterne sitting on a chair watching TV.

"Nii-san, isn't there anything you want to do with your life? Besides sitting here and watching TV all day. I mean, the war is over now, you don't have to fight anymore."

Brera looked at her blankly.

"I am your bodyguard." Ranka shook her head.

"I don't need a bodyguard anymore. I never use you. Besides, you were assigned to me by Grace O'Conner. You have no obligation to keep following her orders. This is about you. Don't you have anything you want to do with your life? Something just for you?"

Brera frowned in thought as something blue flashed across his mind. He tried to follow it, but it stubbornly stayed just out of reach. Giving an inner sigh, he let it go. If he waited patiently, the thought would come to him, and patience was something he had in spades. Blinking, he focused on Ranka's face which had moved so it was only a couple of inches away from his own.

"Wh-What?" he asked, slightly unnerved.

"What do you mean what? You thought of something, didn't you? Come on, tell me, tell me, tell me!" She was bouncing on the spot with interest. Brera sighed again.

"There is nothing to tell, Ranka. I'm a cyborg. Over half of my body is machine. My heart doesn't beat and my body is cold. You know how the people of Frontier feel about any sort of cyber enhancement." Ranka wilted slightly at the truth of that statement.

"But surely there's something. All the other guys I know have something they want to do. Or not do. They at least know what they don't want to do." She pouted slightly, thinking. Alto had rejected her again the other day, though at least he was still rejecting Sheryl too. The fact that Sheryl had stayed in the same apartment as Alto during the final stages of the war always made her want to throw something, it was so unfair…She forcefully brought her thoughts back to the present. This was about Brera, not Alto. Though, neither was very normal, really…Brera crossed his arms, bringing her back to the present conversation.

"Ranka, they are all normal teenagers. I am not normal, and haven't been normal for years. I can't fit in with normal teenagers." The two siblings stared at each other. Ranka dropped her gaze first, her sorrow for her brother almost overwhelming. The way he was so matter of fact about the situation made her want to cry. Then a thought occurred to her. The more she thought about it, the more it appealed to her.

If Brera had possessed a normal body, his pulse would have started racing at the look on Ranka's face. Lucky for him, there were very few situations where that happened. Flying his custom VF-27 Lucifer in combat was one, it was specially engineered so only a cyborg like him could comfortably use it. He didn't want to think about the other situations his heart raced. No, there would be none of that. The only time he really felt human anymore was in combat…there was nothing else for him anymore.

As Ranka's face changed from sorrowful to gleeful, Brera almost felt his heart beat in alarm. He didn't like that look at all.

"I know!" Ranka said, grinning widely, "Why don't you enrol in my school? You can enrol in the piloting program, and you can be in the same class as Alto-kun, Luca-kun Nanase-chan and me. It'll be fun!" Ranka frowned briefly "But I bet you won't join any clubs. That's no good, you have to do something after school or you will be back here." The she smiled again. Brera swore he could feel a chill, though that was impossible.

"That's it! You can join the S.M.S. and be a pilot there like my adopted older brother. You remember Ozuma Lee, right? That way you will spend time with the others outside of class, and make lots of friends!" Ranka was so happy to have solved the problem for him. Brera felt his impeding doom closing in on him. He said, a bit weakly,

"I am a Major in the Macross Galaxy special forces." He gave Ranka a stern look. Ranka waved it away.

"That was in Galaxy. Galaxy's gone, you're here now." Ranka smiled sweetly.

"Oh, and we will definitely have to take you shopping. You can't wear that bodysuit the whole time, though it does show you off nicely…" Ranka paused as she considered the effect her brother would have on the female population by continuing to wear his bodysuit.

"Yeah, we definitely need to get you some different clothes, or you're going to get attacked…the female population at our school isn't exactly what you would call normal." Brera's heart was NOT beating faster at her words. He could take care of any threat or attacker. A bunch of high school girls was nothing to a Vajra horde. Surely he could handle it. Looking at Ranka, he felt a thread of unease pass through him.

"Ranka, what do you mean attacked? Why?" she smiled at him. He knew instinctively that her smile did not bode well for him. He wasn't sure he wanted to know what she meant.

"We'll save that for another time, shall we? I wouldn't want you to get scared and run away before I get you settled in." Okay, now he _had_ to know. For his own sanity.

"I am NOT scared!" Brera sniffed disdainfully. "And I never run away! I can handle whatever comes my way!" Ranka squealed and hugged him.

"I knew you would do it! We have to go shopping tomorrow, but let's go meet the S.M.S crew the day after, ok? I will get my manager, Mr Elmo Kridanik, to start the paper work so it's done ASAP, ok? Then you can start next week. This is going to be so much fun!"

Brera realised that he had trapped himself. He couldn't tell her how he felt, and she was so excited he couldn't find the heart in him to tell her no. He kept his face a stoic mask as Ranka happily prattled on and on about everything they would have to do. Inwardly he sighed.

A streak of blue flashed across his mind's eye once again. This time, a face came into focus. When he recognised the face, he had to stop himself from smiling, something he didn't do often. If things got too boring he could always needle the blue haired pilot. That would brighten both their days. He remembered hearing somewhere that the bluenette, he refused to call that arrogant guy by name, was a kabuki actor. That could be useful. Shaking his head, he told Ranka good night and went to his room. He didn't really need to sleep so, considering what she had planned for him tomorrow, he decided to do a complete system check on himself to make sure he was prepared for anything. He ran diagnostics for every implant and his VF-27, and assured himself that everything was battle ready. With that assurance, he lay down on the bed to rest his body and prepare for tomorrow.

_The Next Day_

"We're finally home!" Ranka exclaimed as she entered the room. She dropped the many bags she was carrying beside the door before stumbling into the living room to collapse on the couch. Brera shook his head and picked them all up as he passed. He put all of the bags in his room to sort out later, and returned to the living room to sit on an armchair next to the couch.

They both sat in silence for a while, recovering, before Brera asked,

"Is shopping always like that?" He was exhausted.

When his command implant had been destroyed in the final battle, the only thing that had seemed different about him had been the scar that had appeared on his face. He had had the scar removed, and given no more thought to the subject. Obviously, that implant had controlled some other key functions, like his extended endurance. He wondered what else had changed. At least Ranka was too tired to notice. She was almost falling asleep. Smiling gently, he repeated his question in a louder voice. Ranka turned her face slightly so he could hear her voice clearly.

"Well, yes and no." She said tiredly. "It can get that busy when the sales are on, but generally no. The shop assistants have never acted like that to me before. I haven't been shopping for ages, since well before I made my debut. I didn't realize that people would recognise me on the street. Though, at least we did manage to get you some clothes."

Brera shook his head.

"I don't know how I am ever going to wear all of those clothes. There are too many."  
Ranka smiled at him indulgently.

"We bought you a complete new wardrobe so that you would have clothes for every occasion. That's so you have a choice what to wear. Your school uniform order has been placed, and we even ordered a couple of suits for you for formal occasions, and they will all be delivered in a couple of days. Remember to hang them up properly…"

Ranka's voice was fading as she fought off sleep. She smiled to herself as she thought of all the clothes they had bought.

Ranka had been prepared to pay, but Brera had surprised her. He had informed her that he had more than enough money to cover the clothes, and she had been astonished at the amount in his account. They obviously paid well in the Special Forces. As Ranka looked at her brother though half-lidded eyes, she was pleased by what she saw. Gone was the bodysuit that had made him stand out, now he looked like any guy off the street.

He was wearing a pair of black denim jeans slung low on his hips with a skin-tight turquoise v-neck t-shirt. The v-neck was cut low enough to see an obsidian pendant on a black leather strap that was looped around his neck several times.

The jewellery had been added grudgingly, with Brera protesting every step of the way. Jewellery was for women, not men, he had argued. It was only after Ranka showed him all of the other teenagers wearing similar items that he had grudgingly purchased his own jewellery. While he had listened to her suggestions, he had chosen most of his clothes on his own. They had picked up his outfit in the first shop they had come to, though Brera had stubbornly refused to change into it initially. He had been eye-catching before, but he had also seemed dangerous, like a predator. After finally changing, he had become a sex-magnet for every woman in the vicinity. They had been the focus of attention at every clothes booth after that, with women falling over themselves to serve him. He had looked so cool in his new clothes, so completely comfortable that she couldn't believe he had never shopped before.

As Ranka looked at him now, sprawled in the armchair, he looked so relaxed and normal, it lightened her heart. She was so happy for him. Fighting off sleep, she stretched as she sat up and yawned, rubbing her eyes. She smiled sleepily. Next, she was Brera's presentation to the S.M.S crew. She had spoken to her adopted older brother Ozuma Lee about admitting Brera into the squad, so there would be no problems. She wondered what Alto's reaction to the news would be. She hoped they would get along, though considering their past history, she wasn't sure. Driven by that thought, she stood up and moved over to lean over Brera with her hands on her hips. He just looked at her, a neutral expression on his face.

"Now tomorrow, I want you to be nice to everyone ok? I know you and Alto haven't always gotten on well in the past, but you have to be nice to him tomorrow, ok?" Brera closed his eyes and sighed. He had been looking forward to needling the bluenette, but if Ranka asked him…

"Alright, I'll be friendly and play nice with everyone tomorrow, ok?" Ranka nodded. When Brera made her a promise, he didn't break it. It was a weight off her mind.

"Just think Nii-san, tomorrow's a Friday, so after the S.M.S. meeting, you can start school on Monday. Are you looking forward to it? You can see what normal guys the same age as you do with their lives." Brera gave an inward sigh. Given what had happened today, he wasn't really looking forward to it, but he knew what he was expected to say.

"Of course I'm looking forward to it. You have put in so much work for my sake. I really appreciate it." To his surprise, Brera actually felt warmth inside his chest. He was telling the truth, no one had ever done something for him before. The sheer effort Ranka was willing to put in to help him sort out his life was astonishing. And she did it all while making him feel completely welcome and cared for. He would never forget it. Brera stood up and gave her a clumsy hug. Ranka was so stunned it took her a minute to respond. They stood together for a moment before Brera pulled away. He had been alone for so long, he was uncomfortable getting to close to other people. Brera started walking towards the kitchen. Ranka watched him go, still stunned by his actions.

"As a thank you for all the help you have given me, I'll cook dinner tonight." As he walked out of the room, Ranka frowned. She had never heard of him being able to cook.

"Nii-san, have you ever cooked before?" she called. Brera kept walking.

"Of course." He said.

_One Hour Later…_

Brera glared at the smoking black mass sitting in the frying pan. He had decided to make a simple omelette for dinner, and the current mess was his third attempt. Cursing silently, he dumped the mess into the bin and put the pan into the sink to soak clean with the other dishes. Ranka chose that moment to carefully pop her head in the door. Brera began scrubbing the pan.

"Why don't we just go out for dinner tonight? I mean, I really appreciate the thought of you doing something for me, but I don't want you to get hurt in there." Ranka asked as she walked into the room and picked up a tea-towel to start drying the dishes. She sneaked a glance at him from under her lashes.

"You know, it's totally normal for guys to be unable to cook." She stated. Brera sighed.

"I can cook. Really, I have done so occasionally in the past. I don't know what's wrong with me today. I guess that control implant controlled more than I thought it did." He shook his head as they finished up the dishes.

"Let's go get some dinner then." Brera said with a smile. Ranka was frozen. When her brother smiled, he turned from good looking to HOT! Someone was going to be very lucky when they started to date Brera. She winced at the thought of his first day of school. She was so glad she had taken the day off to go to school with her brother. He wouldn't know what had hit him.

"Ranka?" Brera was staring at her.

"It's nothing, let's go!" She grabbed his hand with a smile, pushing aside her worries. First, dinner. Everything else could wait.

~END Prologue~


	2. Chapter 1

_**Title:**_ Top Gun

_**Chapter:**_ 01

_**Series:**_ Macross Frontier

_**Pairing/s:**_ BreraxAlto

_**Rating:**_ M

After the end of the Vajra War, life for Alto had returned to a level of normalcy that he hadn't experienced since before he had fought with his father. That seemed so long ago now. He had recently made up with his father, really it was amazing what facing death did to your priorities, and after a short time, he had moved back into his family home. He had returned to Mihoshi Academy along with the others, and he had remained in the pilot program, despite his father's grumbling.

Alto had also remained a pilot of the S.M.S, but his missions were small and few. Because he no longer had a backup, he wasn't allowed to range far from Frontier, and there were a limited number of small one-man missions available. The N.U.N.S were offered first choice of missions, with S.M.S getting the ones they felt they were too good for. He had felt a moment of regret about leaving his wing-mates in the N.U.N.S, but when asked, had wryly stated that he wasn't really suited for all those rules and regulations anyway.

He would have asked Luca Angelloni to be his backup, but after Luca had confessed his feelings to Nanase Matsuura, and she accepted, Luca had split his time between his family business, school, and her. He barely could make it to the weekly meetings, let alone run any missions. Alto found this all very amusing, or he would have, if it hadn't effectively grounded him. Although he could still fly in the open sky with his EX-Gear, it wasn't the same as piloting a fighter…

Alto sighed, deep in thought, as he walked though the corridors of the S.M.S. building on his way to the weekly meeting. He had suddenly found himself with a great deal of free time, and he wasn't sure what to do with himself. He could return to acting, but he wasn't sure he wanted to yet. Though, he thought dryly, I never really left it behind, did I? I just made the world my stage…Alto felt a twinge of guilt. Compared to others who lost families and homes to the war, he had escaped relatively unscathed. Life was good to him, he was now the ace of his academy, and he had Ranka Lee and Sheryl Nome throwing themselves at him at every possible opportunity. Alto shuddered. While that might be the fantasy of every other teenager, it certainly wasn't his fantasy.

Now that Sheryl had been healed of her Vajra-strain infection, she had returned to the stage and created a singing sensation all over again. Ranka had also returned to performing, saying she wanted to share her true song with everyone. Sheryl was proving her metal by operating without a manager. After the war ended, Sheryl had released her manager, Elmo Kridanik, telling him that Ranka needed him more. With good wishes on both sides, Elmo returned to Ranka, providing some much needed stability and maturity in her life. The two singers had been constantly battling to come out on top ever since, and Alto apparently become a prize in their little competition, which seemed to escalate constantly. He _really_ wished they would find something else to fight over.

With all of the work that had been done to make the Vajra home world their own, the people of Frontier had already begun moving down to the planet's surface, anxious to live free of colony restrictions. This meant that there was ample housing available again to all who needed it. While initially Alto had found this convenient, he soon changed his mind.

After returning from his post-war hospital check-up, Alto had moved out of the apartment he had shared with Sheryl. It hadn't seemed appropriate to continue living together, especially now that she could take care of herself. His new apartment had been conveniently located close to both S.M.S. headquarters and his school. Shortly after moving into his new place, he had had Ranka inform him that she would be moving into the same building. After all, she told him, her brother Brera Sterne was living with her now, and she wanted a place for her own family, given that Ozuma appeared to be nearly ready to settle.

Alto hadn't been able to leave fast enough. The though of living in the same building with the two siblings had filled him with trepidation. Giving up on living in an apartment, Alto had escaped to his family home. His father and brother seemed to find the whole situation hilarious. After the initial teasing and innuendos, they had been supportive of case. The fact that the two idiot singers kept calling his home at all hours had helped. After constantly receiving calls from them about NOTHING, he had blocked them from calling his mobile. At least the two didn't come to school often, they were too busy with their careers. That was one small mercy…

As Alto reached the briefing room, he took his seat next to Klan-Klan in her micronized form. Since her passive lover Michel had died in the war, Klan hadn't smiled or laughed, as far as Alto knew. He worried about her. He was just about to strike up a conversation when Squad-Captain Ozuma Lee entered the room, followed by his fiancée Cathy Glass. Everyone had been unsurprised when the old rock-n-roller had finally proposed, and Cathy had accepted. Now that Ranka was grown up and with her real older brother, it seemed that Ozuma could live his life for himself. Everyone had expressed their heartfelt congratulations. Alto smiled inwardly. Cathy had recently decided that until the squad was up to full strength, no one would be flying missions, and after a shouting match that lasted for nearly an hour, Ozuma had given in. Alto hoped that a replacement could be found soon, he knew that Ozuma certainly had the motivation for it, though he knew that it was difficult to attract those with the right 'qualities' to the S.M.S..

He gave a mental shrug. Those that belonged in the S.M.S. would find there way eventually, all he had to do was be patient…

As Ozuma took his place at the front of the room¸ Alto felt a strange chill run down his spine. It warned him that something bad was going to happen. Whatever Ozuma had to say, it wouldn't end well. The quick glances that both Cathy and Ozuma kept throwing his way did nothing to ease his growing trepidation. Finally, Ozuma reached the end of the regular minutiae, and dropped his first bombshell.

"To finish off this weeks meeting, I would like to introduce to everyone our new skull squadron pilot." Alto forgot his trepidation for a moment. He would be allowed to fly again! He was jerked back to reality when he caught Ozuma watching him. Alto's stomach churned as his trepidation increased.

"He should be familiar to all of you, though some more than others" Ozuma continued. He turned slightly towards the door.

"Enter!"

Alto was frozen in horror as none other than his personal nemesis sauntered into the briefing room. Brera Sterne, Ranka's biological older brother and bodyguard. A first rate pilot and martial arts expert, had had never failed to show Alto how much better at everything he was. Alto was working himself up as he remembered all of the past insults he had received at Brera's hands, when he noticed something different about the blonde cyborg. Then it struck him. Brera was wearing casual clothes! And he looked pretty damn good too! Alto bit his lip as his eyes moved slowly over Brera's body, cataloguing him. Black jeans were slung low on his hips with a tight white v-neck t-shirt allowing a tantalising view of his skin. Brera was wearing a turquoise pendant on gold chain.

Alto gave himself a mental smack. Why was he checking Brera out anyway? As Alto looked away, his eyes caught Brera's, and locked. Brera's eyes appeared to be challenging him to find something wrong. Considering their past encounters and the current witnesses, Alto had no desire to accept the challenge, regardless of what it was. He shook his head slightly, mute.

"Does anyone object to his admission to the S.M.S. as a pilot then?" Ozuma asked, looking meaningfully at Alto. When Alto chose not to respond, Brera smirked at him. Alto scowled at the table, imagining him beating Brera to a bloody pulp. Caught up by his imagination, he remained oblivious to the proceeding meeting.

Ozuma smiled slightly as he saw Alto scowling at the table. This would teach him to pay attention in meetings. Ozuma was very fond of the blue-haired pilot, really, but every now and then he had to put the kid in his place when he got too cocky. Out of the corner of his eye, Ozuma saw Brera was watching Alto unobtrusively, a smirk on his lips.

Looked like the blonde was enjoying this, and Ozuma had a feeling he would excel in his new role. Now, to drop the other bombshell on the unsuspecting bluenette…

"Then as of now Brera Sterne is an official member of the Skull Squadron, call-sign Skull-_. He will pilot his VF-27 Lucifer as the partner and backup of Alto Saotome, call-sign Skull-_. Those two shall report to me at 16.00 hours the day after tomorrow for a mission. That is all. Dismissed!"

Alto was jerked back to the real world with a bump.

"Wait, WHAT!" he yelled. Brera smirked at him as he followed Ozuma and Cathy out the door.

"Don't be late!" he called as he left. Everyone else began leaving as well. It was pretty predictable what would happen next, after all.

Alto was frozen in his chair in an inarticulate rage. How dare that bastard act condescending! How DARE he! By the time Alto had worked past his anger, the only people left in the room where Klan and himself. Klan had a wicked smile on her face. Alto realised that he'd been had. There was no way that it was coincidence. That would explain the looks that he had received from Cathy and Ozuma. Beside him, Klan started shaking. He turned to her, puzzled and a bit miffed. What was she doing?

"Your…face…" Klan's shaking increased as she spoke.

"What?" Alto asked, puzzled. Klan tried again, her voice shaking.

"Your…face…is…HYSTERICAL!" all of the laughter that she had been trying to hold in was abruptly freed as she took in Alto's expression. She howled with laughter which, of course, only served to make Alto scowl more. She kept laughing, every time she looked at Alto's face she set off again. Ok, granted it was good to see Klan laughing again, but really! Finally, she started to settle down.

"That's what you get…for not paying attention" she giggled, wiping the tears from her eyes. Alto glared at her.

"Don't you give me that look, you should have objected when you had the chance! Everyone was waiting for you too."

Alto looked away, a slight blush on his cheeks.

"I was…distracted." Klan's eyes lit up, and a devious smile formed on her lips.

"Hmm, I wonder what by…"Alto opted for a quick conversation change. How was he going to explain that Brera had distracted him? Even if he said he was imagining strangling the bastard, she probably wouldn't believe him. Best not chance it.

"They set me up" he said flatly. Klan shook her head. Really, this boy…

"Now why would they do that? Maybe he was all there was, and Ozuma thought that you would rather fly missions again, even if you did have to work with the guy who is better at everything than you." Alto glared at her again. She didn't have to rub it in!

"It could be another of the old fools' ploys to put me in my place again." He suggested. Klan looked thoughtful.

"Well there is that, but I doubt that Cathy would let him…anyway, for now, focus on this. At least you have missions again, and it's not like you have to see him everyday. You aren't sharing quarters or anything. Relax. Everything will look better tomorrow; it'll all be fine…"

Chapter 01 END


	3. Chapter 2

_**Title:**_ Top Gun

_**Chapter:**_ 02

_**Series:**_ Macross Frontier

_**Pairing/s:**_ BreraxAlto

_**Rating:**_ M

Alto trudged to school, lost in thought. He was still seething about the set-up at the meeting. He muttered and grumbled to himself until he reached the school grounds, so focused on the troubles of the night before, that he didn't notice the trouble coming up behind him until…

"Al-to-kun!" Ranka squealed as she ran up behind him at the school entrance.

"Ahh! Ranka!" Alto yelled in surprise, jolted out of his thoughts. Ranka giggled.

"You shouldn't wander around so lost in thought Alto-kun. It's dangerous, you know, someone could sneak up behind you and attack!"

Alto felt the urge to roll his eyes. Manfully restraining himself, he replied neutrally.

"Attacked by what? And anyway, what are you doing here? Don't you have work or something?"

"I have the day off today." Ranka answered happily, spinning around.

"Since today is the first day that Mihoshi Academy is open after the repairs, Mr Elmo said I should attend. He was very enthusiastic about it. All that 'You're only young once!', and 'Life is for living, deculture!' stuff. You know?"

Alto didn't know, and to be honest, he would rather keep it that way. Ranka and her manager were a completely different species, speaking a different language to the rest of the world. Actually, make that singer's in general. Sheryl was the same, though she would never admit it.

"Besides I wanted to meet the new principal, and see everyone again. It has been a while." Ranka finished speaking, waiting expectantly.

Alto turned away, avoiding her gaze and her ploy for attention.

"Really? It didn't feel that long." Alto replied, starting to walk again. Ranka fell into step beside him. Damn it.

So, how did the meeting go last night?" Ranka asked. Alto was startled.

"What do you mean, 'how did it go'? Why would you ask that? How did you know there was a meeting? You have nothing to do with…" Alto's voice trailed off as a horrible thought occurred to him.

No. Surely not. Fate couldn't hate him that much.

Ranka smiled brightly at him, doing absolutely NOTHING to alleviate Alto's growing feeling of dread. And anger. If his suspicions proved correct…Something of his feelings must have shown on his face because Ranka paled slightly, and began to babble.

"Oh, I was just curious. Ozuma must have said something to me…" Ranka's voice trailed off as she saw the thunderclouds appearing on Alto's face.

Alto didn't even bother to try and hide his growing anger at Ranka's obvious lie. When she tried to duck around him, he moved to block her. She tried to escape a couple more times, but with no luck. Ranka bowed her head in defeat. By this time they had entered the grounds and were standing relatively alone. There would be no rescue. She would have to come clean. She hadn't liked trying to lie to Alto, but she knew he would be even angrier at the truth.

"You remember my biological brother, Brera Sterne, don't you?" she asked tentatively.

"Of course I remember him." Alto replied, trying for neutral. The less he remembered the better.

"Well," Ranka continued, "he has never been able to experience life like a normal person. He spent his entire life under Grace O'Connor, even in the military. And you know how the general population of Frontier is about cybernetic implants and enhancements."

Ranka paused, and Alto nodded.

"So, in order for him to experience normal life, you know, get a job, go to school, etc., he would have to be around people who won't treat him differently because of what he is.

"When I suggested the S.M.S. as a place for him to work, Brera agreed. I asked Ozuma, who agreed to let him join S.M.S. as a pilot, and everything went from there. I only found out this morning that Ozuma had paired you and Brera together. I made him promise to behave while he was at work, but you looked so down this morning, I was worried." She looked up at him with woeful puppy eyes.

"Ranka, you…" Alto said, oddly touched by her words, despite his anger. This woman was the source of his suffering, yet she was still worried about him. However, she wasn't finished yet. Ranka became deeply engrossed in her shoes as she continued.

"So that covered Brera's part-time job, but I wanted to make sure he got out and met people, instead of sitting on the couch all day. And normal teenagers go to school, so I thought Brera should as well."

Alto could now see where this was going. His knowledge must have been visible on his face, because as Ranka glanced up at his face, she quickly returned to her fascinating footwear. Alto felt a grim amusement from the whole situation. He might as well get something out of this.

"So let me get this straight." Alto said with an obviously false calm. Ranka flinched.

"Because YOU want Brera to experience 'normal' life, you talked Ozuma into letting him join S.M.S.. Then, you enrolled him in high school. Right?" he asked. Ranka nodded glumly.

"And, let me guess," he added sarcastically "It just so happens that the bastard is now enrolled in the same school, and even the same class as us. Right?" he said, arms crossed. With luck, she would take the hint…

Ranka remained silent for a moment, gathering herself. She hadn't thought that Alto would be _this_ angry. The only thing to do now was to leave him alone for a while, until he settled. She didn't want to, but she now knew from experience that her presence would only keep the bluenette angry longer. And she couldn't afford that, Sheryl would take advantage again.

The fact that he had called Brera 'the bastard' hadn't escaped her either. Ranka gave an internal sigh. She had hoped that the two would become friends, especially after the last battle. They had worked so well together! If they became friends, Alto would probably come over to the house to hang out with Brera. She would see him more than Sheryl, and she would make it count! They would be together…*fades away in sparkles*

Meanwhile, Alto was getting impatient as it became obvious that he had lost Ranka to whatever mental tangent she had gone on. The longer he had to wait for an answer, the more irritated he became. He would never let on that his irritation was born from fear. Oh no. The fact that he was intimidated by Brera's competence was completely irrelevant. It was all about his peace. Really. And Ranka still hadn't answered him.

"Ranka." He sighed. He needed an answer, damn-it-all! He massaged his temple, trying to ease the headache that was growing there.

Ranka suddenly looked up at him, with a bright smile that didn't match the conversation. She obviously took a long mental side-trip, Alto thought with a sigh. Couldn't she ever stay on track?

Obviously she could, when it suited her own purposes, because Ranka took her chance while Alto was distracted to dodge around him and bolt. As she ran off, she said over her shoulder,

"Yes."

Within moments Ranka had dissolved into the crowd of students entering the school building, while Alto, for the second the second time in less than 24 hours, was paralysed in horror. It was one thing to suspect, and completely different to know! This time however, he pulled himself together after a few moments and resumed his walk.

_So much for today being better Klan_, he thought grimly. _I'll have to remember to 'thank' you._

_A_s Alto trudged his way up the school steps, ignoring everyone greeting him as the 'princess', he was surprised to find Luca joining him.

"Um, Alto-sempai, are you ok? Can I help with anything? Or can't you say?" Luca asked tentatively.

Obviously his feelings were easy to read today. He stopped in the hallway and sighed.

"Not really, Luca, and you'll find out soon anyway." he replied, hoping that Luca would let it go.

Luca, however, looked quite ready to wait as long as necessary for answers. Alto sighed again, and gave in, repeating the events of the last 24 hours. Luca manfully refrained from laughing, though judging by the shaking of his shoulders it wasn't easy. Composing himself, Luca patted Alto on the shoulder sympathetically.

"Just because you fly missions with him doesn't mean that you have to spend all of your time with him, even if he is in the same class as us. He might not even be in the same class. It isn't that easy, you know. And you haven't been assigned to the same room or anything." Luca said comfortingly. Alto couldn't bring himself to reply. Considering the way life was going at the moment, he would not be surprised in the slightest if things turned out that way.

When they reached the classroom, they separated, and Alto walked over to his desk. As he sat down, he glanced reflexively over to Michel's desk. He sighed, he missed his friend. They had begun as rivals, and ended up as the best of friends. Michel had always seen through him with his sniper's eyes, and had always given Alto advice, though he often refused to take it. Alto wished his friend was here now; Michel would know exactly what to say to help Alto with his troubles. Sarcastically, of course.

As the teacher walked into the classroom, signalling the beginning of Homeroom, Alto relaxed. The teacher had walked into the room alone. Alto suddenly felt giddy with the release of tension, he didn't hear a word the teacher said. _He wasn't in the same class, Ranka was wrong_, he thought, _Thank you Gods!_

The teacher then took attendance, and Alto answered his own name, and pulled up the bulletin on his terminal. Seeing how his day had gone so far, if he didn't check, there would be something important there. He heard Ranka answer her name, and was startled when he heard Sheryl answer hers, though he really shouldn't have been surprised. The best way to stay in front of the competition was to watch them after all.

Alto kept his head down, trying to hide behind his terminal. The teacher finished taking attendance, and left the room, signalling the start of the day, and leaving them to prepare for their first class. Alto hoped that the pink haired Fairy would leave him alone, but again, considering the way his morning had gone, he wasn't really surprised when she came over to his desk. He sighed.

"Good mor-ning!" Sheryl greeted him.

"Morning." Alto replied.

Chapter 02 END


	4. Chapter 3

_**Title:**_ Top Gun

_**Chapter:**_ 03

_**Series:**_ Macross Frontier

_**Pairing/s:**_ BreraxAlto

_**Rating:**_ M

_Elsewhere_

Brera was sitting in the principal's office. The new Principal, a woman by the name of Julie Edwards, was apparently married to one of the S.M.S crew aboard the Macross Quarter, so she knew all about Brera, Alto and the others. Mrs Edwards was a woman of middling height, about 30 years old with blue eyes and dark blonde hair. She looked more than ready to handle any crisis in her school. Brera had arranged to meet with her before the school day began, but the first bell had already rung. Brera was eager to get on with experiencing his new 'normal' life-and annoying a certain blue haired kabuki-but Mrs Edwards kept him. Ranka had told him that there was no reason to meet specifically with the principal, but he had insisted. After all, it was important to let her know he was enhanced that way, and to see how she felt about he almost wished he hadn't come at all. His impatience to GET ON WITH IT must have been obvious, as Mrs Edwards faced him, politely not laughing at him.

"I understand your concerns, really I do, and I thank you for coming to me. However, at this school we pride ourselves on accepting everyone, no matter how different they are." She smiled at Brera reassuringly.

"Even accepting a cyborg?" he asked, curious. Frontier's opinion on implants and enhancements was well known, after all.

"Well, it isn't advisable for you to tell everyone what you are, but let me ask you this. Did you have a choice about the changes that were made to your body? Were you asked if you wanted them?"

Brera thought back to that day. It was still a horror of blood and fire, even after all this time.

"No, I don't believe so. I would have died if they hadn't changed me, that is certain."

"Then there you have it. You didn't ask, so it isn't your fault. And I suspect that you won't let many find out anyway. Let's focus on more important matters. Like your course focus. You wished to enrol in the pilot program, correct?"

"Considering my occupation, I think that's the best idea." Brera said dryly. She raised a carefully sculpted eyebrow.

"Well, you might be surprised. Miss Nome is taking the pilot program too, after all."

"Fair point." Brera conceded.

"In any event," Mrs Edwards continued

"I have decided that students with special cases, like you, will be assigned a partner with similar interests so that they can work together without falling behind. For example, your sister has been paired with her friend Nanase, while Miss Sheryl was paired with young Luca. Do you accept being assigned a partner?" she asked, with her eyes twinkling.

'Ah,' Brera thought, amused. 'So that's what this is about. Between her and Ozuma, they've probably planned this all out. That's ok, I'll play along. I'm the one who benefits from it, after all.'

Brera smiled and twinkled right back at her. After all, this woman didn't really know him; no one did. If he wanted to act different _she_ certainly wouldn't know any better. He suddenly had the freedom to act however he wanted, and it was immensely addictive.

"Oh, of course." He answered her. He paused, and then gave in to the imp of mischief. He began speaking in a falsetto, high and squeaky.

"Do you really think you could do that? Find someone just for me?" the principal's lips twitched slightly, betraying her desire to smile. Enjoying her reaction, Brera continued in that voice.

"If you did find someone, we could be together all the time! Oh please make us partners! We'll have _such_ fun!"

Mrs Edwards gave up trying to hold in her laughter. She laughed so hard, she almost fell off of her chair. Brera sat quietly, waiting for her to calm down, the occasional twitch of his lips betraying his own amusement. Finally, she settled, wiping her eyes.

"You are very different to what I was expecting. Are you _sure_ you want to be in the pilot program?" She asked, obviously amused.

"You certainly have a talent. You would do quite well in the entertainment program."

Brera smiled at her, and shook his head gently. The principal stared at him, her mouth slightly ajar. Uneasy, the smile slipped from his face.

"Is something the matter?" he asked, suddenly wary.

The principal smiled gently, regaining her calm.

"Nothing is wrong. You should smile more. It suits you."

Brera was startled, he wasn't used to complements. He knew he was good looking, of course, but there had been few complements in the army, and none from Grace. It was just him.

Mrs Edwards cleared her throat, regaining his attention. She faced him over her desk, serious mask back in place.

"Now, we try to pair people with similar interests and hobbies. I can only think of one student that would fit your criteria." she asked. Then she smirked, which was _very_ unprofessional.

"Despite his history of acting, I think he would be suitable. Any objections?"

Brera pictured the expression on a certain bluenette's face when he found out that they were partnered in and out of school. He was quite sure the smirk on his face matched the wicked grin on the principal's face.

"I can't think of anyone better." He said innocently.

'Oh yes, this is definitely a conspiracy' Brera thought, amused despite obviously being the centre of the plot. 'They probably think I can house-train him or something. At least I can restrain him if he gets too excited.'

Brera and Mrs Edwards finished off their meeting by finalising Brera's timetable. They had decided that he would be in all of Alto's classes. Luckily they were all classes he would have picked for himself anyway. This way, if one missed class they could do the work together. It would all "increase his understanding of everyday life", as he was assured. He left the office, having convinced her that he would not need any assistance getting to the classroom. His lateness would be excused on account the meeting, but he had a dozen or so other excuses prepared for anything else he needed.

Brera was immensely pleased with himself. Regardless of where, he would be able to monopolise the bluenette in future, there would be no place for him to escape. Brera had just received a message from Ozuma stating that they would be assigned to the same room on the Macross Quarter during any and all missions. So many possibilities. He felt a rather pleasant flutter in his stomach at the thought. Brera immediately frowned, and leaned against a wall as he examined his reaction. And his odd thought.

He knew what he was, what his preferences were. You didn't belong to any sort of military organisation without encountering _that_ at some point. As he had entered the Forces as an officer, he had had only a couple of incidents, nothing he couldn't handle.

Brera went deeper into his mind. He had had the same sensation before; it had just been hidden by other feelings and emotions. Every time, the strange sensation had been accompanied by the actor. Then it clicked.

Brera faced up to the startling fact that the reason why he was so happy, was that he was attracted to the bluenette. And not just physically. Brera grew slightly alarmed. When the idiot smiled or laughed, he had all positive feelings, even though he hadn't always acted that way. That one time he had been guarding Ranka and had gone to school, he had been ordered to be subtle. However, he had poked, prodded and annoyed the other pilot until he had snapped. The very physical confrontation had been, well, fun. So had sitting on him, come to think of it.

"Well," he said to the empty hallway, "that certainly explains a lot."

He had wondered why he was falling in with the conspiracy. It wasn't like him to use others, and he had worried that Grace had rubbed off on him. It was somewhat comforting to know that he had subconsciously gone along with them because he wanted to, just not for the reasons he said. Brera wondered if Ranka had noticed. The Principal more than likely had.

'Probably not,' he thought to himself, 'though she did say to play nice. She probably just hoped for us to become the best of friends so she would have more of a chance with him.'

Brera shook his head, exasperated with the girl. She was so hopeless. She could try and set all the traps she wanted, but she wouldn't know what to do if he was actually caught! Not like that fairy-vamp from Galaxy.

He brooded on that for a moment before hardening his resolve. He had always been the type to need a goal to focus on, and now he had one. He would catch the bluenette, and he would arrange it so that the kabuki walked into his arms on his own. The best rewards came after the hardest tasks, after all. And Brera always reached his goals.

He resumed his walk through the school, though his gait had more in common with a stalking predator than a student. He had to plan well in advance for every opportunity, or this would too long. He had observed from the attempts of his sister and the fairy that the bluenette did not take well to being actively pursued, which meant he had to use stealth. He was good at stealth.

Brera sighed. No one who didn't know could recognize him as Ranka's bodyguard. He would have to be as good an actor as the best to pull this off. He would be the constant presence, always there in the back of the mind until it was so natural that there would be no questions when he took over even more of his existence, becoming a necessity.

As he stood in front of the classroom, his smile was definitely predatory, before he blanked it. He knocked on the door.

The hunt had begun.

Chapter 03 END


	5. Chapter 4

_**Title:**_ Top Gun

_**Chapter:**_ 04

_**Series:**_ Macross Frontier

_**Pairing/s:**_ BreraxAlto

_**Rating:**_ M

"…and the first thing we will do today is to form groups for the assessed work this semester. The first module will be completed in pairs, with later modules combining pairs…"

The teacher droned on and on, noting all the major points of the assignment. Alto had already downloaded the text file she was reading off. He exchanged a knowing look with Luca, who had also already downloaded the file. They had worked together for long enough that it only took one glance for them to agree to work together.

The teacher had finally finished talking, and faced the class with her hands on her hips. Her smile was kind of scary. Alto exchanged another quick look with Luca, this time worried. What was the woman plotting? Or was he now so paranoid that he saw conspiracy everywhere?

"Taking into account the difficulties you students have picking your groups, I have already paired everyone up myself."

There was a moment of silence before the class began to complain very loudly. The teacher crossed her arms and tapped her foot while the students complained. It took several minutes for the class to settle, though several girls could be heard complaining bitterly that they had wanted to partnered with their Hime, etc. The teacher scowled.

"Don't you 'awww' me! This is for your own good. This prevents people being left out, or one person doing the work while the other has fun. And I did it by randomly drawing names out of a hat, so if you have any complaints, talk to your God."

She was then interrupted by a knock on the door. Luca and Alto shared a commiserating look. There wasn't much worse than an assignment where the teacher chose the pairings. Alto buried his face in his hands. He wasn't one to pray, but this time he prayed, prayed to be paired with someone who would actually do their share of the work. He lifted his head as the teacher spoke.

"It's about time. You almost missed the group allocations. Well, come in." she turned from the door to face the class. Alto tensed, hoping he was wrong about the identity of the new student, but terribly afraid he wasn't. As the door opened, the teacher began the introduction.

"Class, I would like to introduce a new student. He is the older brother of another of our students, and is enrolling in the pilot programme. His name is Brera Sterne, please give him a big welcome."

Brera walked to the front of the room where he introduced himself and bowed.

"I'm Brera Sterne, Ranka Lee's older brother. Please take care of me."

Brera had unconsciously reverted to his colder façade when he walked into the room. However, remembering the principal's advice, after he finished his introduction he smiled. It wasn't very large, but the effect it had on the women in the room was obvious. Even the teacher was blushing as she directed him to his seat behind Alto's. It was ideally placed for observation, and he didn't have anyone beside him, so he had plenty of space. Excellent.

The teacher then seemed realise that class was still going. She cleared her throat before continuing.

"Alright class, here are your assignments. You now have until lunch free to discuss matters with your new partners. Good luck." She then turned and left the room.

Alto scanned the list frantically, trying to find his partner's name. He hadn't yet found it when he felt a hand on his shoulder. A low voice spoke into his ear, sending shivers down his spine.

"Right-hand side, third from the bottom."

Alto eyes immediately went to the location specified. Sure enough, he found his name. His gaze flicked to the name next to his. Considering the way his day was going, he wasn't really surprised to find Brera's name there. At least he wasn't a giggling girl. Alto turned in his seat to glare at his personal nemesis.

He tried to anyway. As it was, all he could do was stare. He hadn't really noticed until Brera was in front of him, but the school uniform of teal blue pants and white shirt suited him. Unlike Alto, he tucked his shirt in. He was wearing the blue tie of a senior, which kind of made sense since he was older. He looked like he was posing, leaning against the window frame with the morning sun behind him. He was also smirking, Alto noticed, when his eyes finally reached Brera's face. Alto immediately glared at him. Mindful of the other students, he asked the obvious question.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Brera quirked an eyebrow.

"I thought Ranka explained this to you already. She believes that I should experience the everyday life of a high school student, hence my working at the S.M.S. and enrolling here."

Alto snorted.

"And since when have you been so accommodating? And what's with the attitude 180o? You have said more today than in the entire time I have known you."

Brera rolled his eyes. At least the bluenette had noticed. Maybe this wouldn't be so hard after all…

"I don't want to be anything except Ranka's brother here. Therefore I will act so that I don't stand out."

"I think it's a bit too late for that" Luca said as he walked over to them.

"What do you mean Luca?" Alto asked the younger boy. It was hard to call him a man when he had such a baby face. Luca walked over to their seats, and leaned against the window, smiling at them.

"If you were planning on keeping a low profile, you're a bit late." He said to Brera, amused. Brera looked confused, so he elaborated.

"You already stand out, because of your looks, and you are now paired with the number one bachelor of our school. I can understand you not wanting to stand out to much, but it's not going to work."

Brera sighed. Just his luck. The books hadn't mentioned anything like this. Blending in on the first day was supposed to be easy…He only realised he had said spoken aloud when he saw the two younger men staring at him. He quirked an eyebrow at the two, silently inviting them to say whatever it was that they wanted to say.

"Um, Brera-san, you seriously researched the first day of school? That's so…"

"Pathetic is the word there, Luca." Alto interrupted with a smirk. Luca sighed.

As he had been paired with his Nanase-chan, he did not really need to go talk with his partner. He did so anyway because he could spend more time with her that way. After arranging to meet up with her after school, he decided that he should make his way over to the other side of the room where the trouble was likely to be. Brera and Alto were apparently engaged in a staring match, and that could end really badly. As he was about to start moving, he heard several conversations about their new student. Several of the girls were complaining about not being paired with their Alto-hime. They were consoling themselves with the thought that at least Alto would be with another guy when Nanase said thoughtfully,

"Don't you think the two of them look good together? Alto-hime-sempai and Brera-san complement each other well, like a princess and her…" she broke of here, unsure of what to classify Brera as. The girls all just stared at her for a moment before assessing Brera. Luca's jaw was hanging by then. He could only watch as the girls as they tried to decide what to call Brera. Finally one of them said,

"Brera-san is so cool and mature; he's like an ice prince…or a king…" The girls were all silent for a moment before they all started squealing like the fangirls they were.

"That's perfect! Brera-san is the King!" they all chattered among themselves. Luca decided that now was definitely a good time to talk to the other two pilots. He had winced when he heard Brera say he wanted to blend in. Luca tried to warn him, but Alto was too busy being snarky. He sighed again.

Brera sighed, then realised someone else was sighing too.

"What's wrong Luca-kun?" he asked. Luca gave him a wry smile.

"Brera-san, you have no chance at being normal here. You are extraordinary, and it shows."

Brera was confused

"What do you mean?"

"Because this school is rather elite, it is common for the students to be outstanding," Luca began his explanation.

"However, every now and then there is a student that stands out even more than normal. For example, there is Alto-sempai, Ranka-chan and Sheryl-san. To recognise their outstanding abilities, the students decide on nicknames, based on the person's abilities. For the two singers, Sheryl-san is the sexy queen, while Ranka-chan is the little queen." Brera nodded.

"And what about this one?" he said, pointing at Alto. Alto growled at him. Luca rolled his eyes.

"Alto-sempai is, or was, well known for his acting in Kabuki. That is, he played a female character so well, no one could believe it. So, he became Alto-hime."

"Oh, so that's it." Brera mused. He them turned and smirked at Alto.

"A pleasure to meet you, _Hime-chan_."

Alto was about to blow up at him when he was stopped by a groan from Luca and a chorus of squeals. The groan he understood but the squeals? Alto turned around to see the entire female body staring at them.

He jumped up out of his seat and tripped on his seat. Alto closed his eyes as he started to fall, but when he was suddenly caught by a pair of strong arms, they popped open to be looking straight into a pair of crimson orbs. He was caught in those eyes, until more loud squeals jerked back to reality. He immediately started to struggle, but Brera just held him tighter.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" he hissed. Brera looked at him innocently, giving nothing away. Alto huffed in annoyance. Luca cleared his throat, and the other two pilots looked at him.

"I was trying to tell you before, but, um, the girls have decided to give Brera-san a nickname too." There was a moment of silence as the whole class was now involved in the event. Alto felt Brera's arms tighten, but that was the only visible sign of his tension. After a moment of suspense, Luca finally announced Brera's new title.

"From today, you are the school's new _King_." Alto took advantage of Brera's momentary shock to struggle free. He put his blush down to being held too tightly. That was it, of course. He immediately started ranting at Brera about the unfairness of it all.

"You bastard! What the hell does that mean? What about you is kinglike?" he snapped. Brera's only response was a small smile. Alto would have continued his rant, but was abruptly stopped when he heard all the girls started giggling.

"And what the hell are you girls giggling about?" he was getting more and more irritated. The stupid giggling wasn't helping. Finally one of them responded.

"Alto-Hime and Brera-Ou look so good together!" Alto froze.

"What?" that couldn't be correct. Surely he misheard. The girl looked up at him innocently. Luca was shaking his head warningly, but Alto ignored him. In a moment he sincerely wished he hadn't, as the girl began to explain.

"Well, we thought that since Brera-san looked so cool and mature, he would be a good King character. The two of you are partners and when we saw you two over near the window we just…" here she looked slightly uncomfortable.

"Reverted you your yaoi-fangirl mindsets?" Luca suggested. At this Sheryl came forward and stood facing Brera.

"Are you competition?" She asked bluntly. Alto was so shocked that all he could do was stare at them. Ranka came close to him and looked up at him.

"Alto-kun, are you ok?" Alto shook his head. He would forget that it was all Ranka's fault for the moment. He needed some sympathy, while he was waited for Brera's answer, along with the rest of the class. Brera smirked at the pop idol before answering her question.

"And what if I am?"

Chapter 04 END


	6. Chapter 5

_**Title:**_ Top Gun

_**Chapter:**_ 05

_**Series:**_ Macross Frontier

_**Pairing/s:**_ BreraxAlto

_**Rating:**_ M

As Alto sat in class, he could practically feel the glare digging into the back of his neck. However, he remained resolute, and did not did not turn around. He had managed to keep his code of silence for two weeks, he wasn't giving up now. After that little escapade on Brera's first day, he had done his very best to ignore the blonde. Brera had picked up the hint immediately and had kept his distance. Sort of. That had made their mission rather quiet, but at least it gave Alto some time to think. Thankfully, the mission had been very simple.

Despite Brera eventually denying that he was in the competition to secure Alto's affections, something felt off to the bluenette. And it seemed that he was the only one who noticed. Sheryl had accepted Brera's answer with a smirk, and Ranka with a bright smile. They had then focused back on their prey, ignoring Brera's own actions.

The blonde pilot had settled into his chosen role as the 'King' of the class. He was polite to everyone, but always kept a certain distance from everyone except his sister and partner. This did nothing to stop them calling him 'King' behind his back, though never to his face. He had such a presence that the girls all swooned over him from a distance, and the boys boasted to each other when they had spoken with him.

Brera's behaviour and attitude towards Alto was plain disturbing to the bluenette. He was always around. He was polite, but he always had some smart remark that prickled Alto's temper. He seemed to enjoy getting Alto completely riled up and then pretend innocence, and offer to help with something Alto could clearly handle by himself. The fact that no one seemed to notice most of this was bad, but the fact was that when his classmates did notice Brera doing something, they only giggled and whispered. Brera had recently taken to doing things like opening the door for him and pulling out his chair for him, just to get the girls whispering. The only reason Alto had not punched the idiot for his behaviour was he got this stupid little smile on his face. When it combined with that wicked little twinkle in his eyes, Alto just couldn't stay angry at him. This, of course, meant that he just kept being annoying.

The fact that Brera could own him in a fight didn't have anything to do with it.

The bastard had even found out where he lived! And insisted on walking him home every single day! When confronted about why he was doing it, he had replied that that was the way he walked home. Alto's only consolation was that Ranka had never walked home with them. She always left in the afternoon to work, the same as Sheryl. Thank god for that.

None of this had anything to do with why the normally quiet, calm and polite Brera was staring at the back of his neck, of course. Alto felt a strange shiver pass down his spine as he felt Brera's gaze burn the back of his neck.

The teacher had finished his lecture and was assigning the groups there work for the day. Alto studiously typed down the instructions at his workstation, still ignoring Brera. The other pairs had moved to sit together to complete the work but Alto refused to move, or in any way acknowledge the blonde, while Brera was clearly waiting for him to do so. They were engaged in a silent war, unknown to the rest of the class, and Alto had a strange feeling that there was more at stake here than appeared on the surface…

Alto's thoughts were interrupted by the crackle of the P.A. The new principal's voice could then be heard clearing her throat.

"Good afternoon students. Today I have decided to run a special activity for all of the students."

Immediately the whole school fell silent. Everyone was waiting avidly, sure that something big was about to happen…and they were right. Alto however, felt a chill of dread. Again.

"Today I have decided to run a school-wide treasure hunt. The prize will be one request, granted by the student who owns the treasure, which is a hair tie."

The students looked confused. What kind of request? And who was the person?

"I am sure you are all confused. The request can be nearly anything, even if it is personal…such as a kiss…"

Everyone was on the edge of their seats, waiting to hear the name of the student. They could ask the student for a kiss? Who was it?

"You should probably start running now, Saotome Alto-kun."

Yep, it sucked to be him some days.

Alto stood up slowly as every eye in the class focused on him. He began to move slowly towards the door, careful not to make any sudden movements that would trigger the mob. He had reached the door and was about to open it when one of the girls suddenly screamed, in a voice so loud the entire school could hear her,

"Alto-Hime's kiss will be mine!"

This instantly triggered the all of the girls and most of the boys to start chasing Alto. He tore open the door and raced down the corridor. As he was running, all of the doors burst open, allowing the students to pour into the hallway. Alto swore as he abruptly turned and half fell down a stairwell to get away. Someone would pay for this!

Brera was laughing his head off internally as he watched Alto pelt out the door like the hounds of hell were at his heels. Outwardly he was calm as he remained at his desk to complete their assigned work for the day. Just because the game was on didn't mean they were excused from work after all. Brera sighed. He was truly vexed by Alto ignoring him, though he couldn't really blame the bluenette.

Alto was known for being rather dense when it came to emotions and relationships, so Brera hadn't thought that Alto would catch on to him. Obviously, he was wrong. Brera sighed again as he quickly finished off the work. How was he supposed to court Alto when the bluenette wasn't talking to him, and no one else could know? The shojo manga he had read had provided a very scary picture of the yaoi-fangirls, and he wanted nothing to do with them. The manga had helped him formulate a plan to keep the normal girls away as well, hence his 'King' persona. He sat back in his chair, deep in thought as he planned different ways to get Alto to rely on him. When he thought of a plan, Brera grinned to himself as he quickly shut down his terminal. All he had to do was rescue the damsel in distress, then needle the princess about needing saving. As he walked out the door, Brera smiled broadly. This plan would do nicely.

Alto was currently hiding in a shipping container, swearing silently. He had been chased from one end of the school to the other, and had just barely escaped. He had managed to hide in the Hanger so far, only because access to it was restricted. It was only a matter of time until they searched there, however, so he needed to escape somewhere else soon. Alto carefully opened the door of the shipping container, it was big enough to hold a car so he hadn't been too cramped, and slipped away. He was at the door of the Hanger when he heard another announcement.

"Good afternoon. In an update on the Treasure Hunt, Saotome-kun is putting up a good fight and is currently hiding somewhere. So, because we wouldn't want anyone to get bored, I have decided to up the stakes. If anyone can get the omamori, or good luck charm, that Saotome-kun wears around his neck, they will have his services for 24 hours. And before you start screaming, we asked your family and boss to ensure that they would be okay with the terms, so good luck Saotome-kun! Fight on!"

Alto swore again. He was sooo going to have words with his family when he got home. Then Alto froze. Their psychotic principal had asked his 'boss'? Alto groaned. By now _everyone_ at the S.M.S would know what was going on. He would definitely have to hear about this at work, damn it all. He growled quietly as he sneaked down a hallway. What had he done to deserve this?

As Alto edged around a corner, he was startled to see Brera leaning against the wall. Brera had obviously been waiting for him, as he began walking towards him. Alto was momentarily frozen. Why was he here? Brera's walk was more like a prowl than a walk, he noticed absently. Alto gave himself a mental slap. What the HELL was he doing?

Brera smirked as he watched the emotions flash across Alto's face. He so enjoyed messing with the bluenette. But he had a mission, and he couldn't needle Alto until he had finished it.

"I was looking for you" Brera stated smoothly, as he came to a halt right in front of Alto. Alto quirked a brow at him.

"Oh yeah? And why would that be?"

Brera was prevented from replying by the sound of several students coming toward them. The two pilots tensed as they listened to Alto's pursuers approaching them. Brera grabbed Alto's hand and dragged him silently down the corridor. When he saw a closet, he tried the door, but it was locked. The voices were getting closer.

"Whatever you are doing, do it faster!" Alto hissed. Brera smirked, and quickly hacked the lock. He grabbed the bluenette and pushed him into the closet, then followed, locking the door behind him. A quick look around told the blonde that this closet was probably used by a janitor. However, there were only a couple of mops in the closet, and they were covered in dust. The closet obviously hadn't been used in a while.

Brera's analysis was completed by the time he had turned to face the bluenette. He had thought that the closet was large, but that was apparently due to Alto pressing himself up against the back wall. Brera quirked an eyebrow at his behaviour, and Alto scowled. Before he could reply, he felt Brera's hand on his mouth. His eyes widened in shock. Brera then leaned forward to whisper in his ear.

"They are just outside"

Alto shivered as he felt Brera's lips touch the shell of his ear, and his lips burned where Brera's fingers pressed against them. Alto felt dizzy, his body acting strange. Brera brought his body closer to the bluenette's, eliciting a gasp. He panted, unable to draw breath due to the other's closeness. He managed to glare at Brera as he pulled his hand away, and whispered harshly.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?"

Brera smirked wickedly.

"Seducing you." He replied, matter of fact, then leaned down and captured Alto's lips in a scorching kiss.

Alto tried to pull away, but he had pressed himself back against the wall. Brera responded by crowding even closer. Alto struggled, trying to push the blonde away, but he just grabbed Alto's arms and pinned them above his head, all the while continuing to kiss the beautiful actor. Alto gave up resisting, it felt so good…

Chapter 05 END


	7. Chapter 6

_**Title:**_ Top Gun

_**Chapter:**_ 06

_**Series:**_ Macross Frontier

_**Pairing/s:**_ BreraxAlto

_**Rating:**_ M

'I never thought Brera could be such a good kisser…' Alto thought as Brera kissed the daylights out of him. Brera's hands slid up to pull the tie out of Alto's hair, causing the long tresses to cascade around the bluenette's face. The blonde then buried his hand in Alto's locks, pulling his head back into a better kissing position. His other hand was still pinning Alto's wrists above his head.

Their tongues moved together, wrestling, passionately tangling together in a dance of dominance. Brera won, of course, and Alto had no choice except to be swept away by him. Brera then undid the tie on Alto's omomori (good luck charm), letting it fall to the floor unnoticed by the bluenette. He had been distracted by Brera pressing his thigh against his growing hardness.

Alto broke the kiss with a moan, gasping for air. He arched back, pushing against Brera's rough caress. Brera smirked, and repeated his movements, drawing more moans from Alto. He leaned down to kiss the actor's neck. Alto gasped and his knees almost gave way when the other pilot suddenly bit down hard on his neck. Brera was quick to soothe the bite with his tongue, the pain mixed with pleasure more than Alto could stand, and he moaned again. This time he actually _heard_ himself, and Alto blushed bright red at the sound of his voice. It sounded so slutty! He began to struggle, but Brera had done his job well, and Alto's efforts were feeble, at best. Brera chuckled at the bluenette's attempt to get away from him, and suddenly stepped back, releasing him. Alto stumbled and fell back against the wall. His knees had been so weak that Brera's arms had been the only thing holding him up. Alto locked his knees, and with the help of the wall, remained upright. Barely. He also found he couldn't look at Brera, he was blushing too hard. Brera thought he looked cute.

"It appears to be safe now, they have moved on." Brera said, his voice shaking with suppressed laughter. He could see Alto's legs trembling. Alto glared daggers at him. He was NOT impressed with the blonde. Not only has he ridiculed him, he had forced a kiss on him! And now the bastard was laughing like it was all part of a big joke. Alto felt tears sting his eyes. He was not a toy to be played with, damn it all!

"Fine, unlock the door you bastard." He growled.

Brera's eyes narrowed, noting the change in the mood and correctly guessing the reason for it. Silly princess, like he was ever going to let him go…

He reached his hand out to take a lock of Alto's hair. Leaning forward he placed a kiss on the lock, then looking into Alto's eyes so he knew that Brera was serious.

"Of course, my Princess." He murmured, watching another blush spread across the bluenette's face. Brera could practically see the steam coming out of the bluenette's ears. Smiling broadly, Brera turned to unlock the door. As soon as it was unlocked, Alto slipped past the older pilot and raced down the hallway towards the dubious protection of the principal's office. Brera smirked again, and then he leaned down to pick up the discarded hair-tie and charm. He stood and looked at the charm curiously. It was rather old, so it must have belonged to someone important. Brera felt a stab of jealousy, but quickly suppressed it. He would get the full story out of the actor, and only then would he indulge in any jealousy. It could have been from his mother, after all. Pocketing the items, Brera left the closet and locked the door behind him. It was only useful if no one else could get in, after all. As he sauntered down the hallways to the principal's office, Brera planned the next stage of his seduction. He chuckled at the thought of Alto's reaction when he realized that he had run through the school with his hair down and his clothes mussed. It would be entertaining, to say the least.

Alto stormed into the principal's office completely oblivious to his dishevelled state. The principal took one look at him, and ushered him into her office. She waved him into the chair in front of her desk and sat down. Although the bluenette student seemed agitated, he did not appear truly upset, so she could only conclude that his current state had been reached at least semi-voluntarily. The entrance of a smirking blonde told her who the culprit was, even before she saw the hair-tie and omomori (good luck charm) in his hand. Alto's reaction to his entrance was rather amusing. He resolutely stared at a picture on the wall, and his face turned a rather endearing shade of pink. She had suspected before, but now she _knew_ they were interested. It was good to see her medd-guidance helping the young!

"I see that you have won the 'treasure hunt', Brera-san." Mrs Edwards stated blandly. Alto spun around to stare at the blonde. Brera held out both the items so the principal and Alto could see them. Alto's mouth opened and closed, giving him a more than passing resemblance to a fish. Brera's smirk grew even deeper at Alto's reaction. He had carefully formulated his best plan of action while he had walked to the office, and he _knew_ Alto wasn't going to like it in the least.

"Saotome-kun, could you verify the items are yours?" Mrs Edwards continued, ignoring the byplay between the two boys. At Alto's nod to confirm that the items were his, she moved on.

"Well then, now that that's settled, I should go announce that the competition is over. Pity, it was so much fun….I suppose you want to keep the victor a secret?" Brera nodded his head.

"If at all possible, I think my partner would be embarrassed if the school knew I won."

"That's perfectly understandable. I will leave the two of you to sort out the terms of Brera-san's win then. Since he obtained both items, he gets a kiss and your services for a day…"

"Wait, how did you decide that anyway? I didn't give my permission for any of this!" Alto interrupted. Mrs Edwards smiled.

"Of course, I called your family for permission. Your father wasn't available, but your brother gave his consent."

"Brother, I'm going to kill you!" Alto muttered as he clenched his fists. Mrs Edwards and Brera shared an amused look before the principal left the room to make her announcement.

Alto continued his muttered rant, missing the principal's exit. He continued on for a short while before sharply looking at Brera. The blonde had arranged himself so that he could observe Alto's face, and had another smug smirk on his face. Alto didn't like the look of that at all.

"W-what do you want?" he cursed himself for that stutter! It let the damn blonde know far too much about his state of mind. He wanted to smack that knowing smirk of his too smug face!

"Well, I thought I would return this." Brera held out the bluenette's hair tie. It was only then that Alto realised that his hair had been down. Embarrassed, Alto snatched the tie immediately, and pulled his hair back into its customary ponytail. He then noticed the disarray of his shirt and tie. He quickly straightened his clothes, aware of Brera's heated gaze the entire time. The blond sighed when he could no longer see the tantalising flesh of Alto's chest which, of course, made the bluenette blush again. And that made him angry.

"So, what do you want now? Give me back my charm!" Alto demanded, now thoroughly pissed off. Brera was still just amused. Alto was acting just like a cat that had been dunked into a bath of cold water, and he was about to rile the bluenette even more. He really was attractive with his eyes flashing sparks and a blush on his cheeks…

"Well, you have to agree to do whatever I want for 24 hours. Since I think we both know exactly what I am going to do you if I have you in my hands for that long…" Brera paused to observe Alto's reaction to his statement. Yes, he was blushing and wouldn't meet the blonde's eyes; he knew what Brera was saying. Good.

"So, since I want you to come to me of your own free will, I am proposing an alternative to that reward. Since I need a place to stay, away from my sister, and I hear you have a large house…"

"Hell no, you are NOT staying at my house! You might do something to me there!"

Brera smirked, and Alto felt a shiver run up his spine. He instinctively took a step backwards, but Brera followed him. Alto found himself backed up against the desk with Brera's body pushed against him, and his face _far_ too close for comfort.

"That is the point isn't it?" Brera whispered in his ear. Alto shivered again.

"Eating together, going to school together, sleeping together…and…_more_."

Alto gulped. He had no way to escape this. If he tried to deny Brera, the blonde would likely tell the whole school that he had won the hunt and kissed him senseless. No, he was well and truly caught. Damn that blonde! And damn his family for giving their permission for this!

"…fine. You can stay at my house." Alto gritted out. Brera chuckled quietly.

"Good."

"But if you try and do anything…" Alto blushed at the memories, and then continued on resolutely.

"…_anything_, I will kick you out. And I don't care if you tell the entire school." He bluffed. Brera just smirked.

"Understood. But just remember, when you come to me, that will not count." He said as he handed the omomori over. Alto immediately put it back on, and was about to reply when he was stopped.

Any further conversation was interrupted by the bell, signalling the end of the day. Alto started, and tried to push Brera away. It couldn't be that time already. Time just didn't pass that fast!

His thoughts must have been written all over his face, because Brera responded.

"Time certainly had flown." Brera observed absently. Then he smiled wickedly at Alto.

"We certainly spent a long time in that closet, didn't we? I wonder…" He was cut off by Alto's hand over his mouth.

"Don't say another word!" Alto hissed, absolutely mortified by the situation. He had done the math, and they had spent ONE WHOLE HOUR inside that thrice be-damned closet! He couldn't believe it!

Really, his princess was so cute. Brera's eyes softened as he looked at Alto. He really wished that the bluenette would realise his own feelings soon…Brera licked the palm of Alto's hand, and the actor pulled back like he had been burned. Brera laughed, and released the bluenette from where he had been pinned against the desk.

Alto looked at him. He had never heard a laugh from the blonde before. Chuckles yes, but never a true laugh. It made his entire face light up.

For no particular reason, Alto found himself blushing again.

"Well then, shall we go home, my princess?" Brera asked, offering his arm. Alto grunted, a very manly and masculine response, before stalking past Brera and out the door. Brera chuckled again, and followed him out, waving to the principal and her secretary as they left.

They were among the last students to leave, for which Alto was thankful. Most of the students hurried to leave the school, as they had jobs or clubs to go to. Alto was just happy, because it meant less people would see him with Brera. The bluenette stalked through the corridor to collect his bag, and then left the school compound as quickly as possible. He couldn't see Brera, but he had no doubt that the blond was following him. So he was unsurprised when the ace pilot suddenly appeared next to him to walk the rest of the way home. Their silence was strangely comfortable, with neither talking for the entire trip.

Eventually, they reached Alto's home. It was a sprawling traditional Japanese home, though the word mansion was more appropriate. It even looked to have an extensive garden and grounds, though fencing cut off Brera's view.

Alto unlocked the front gate, and walked over to the door. It was opened by a woman, obviously some sort of servant, in more traditional Japanese clothes. Alto walked inside, then turned and bowed.

"Welcome to my home, I guess." He said grudgingly. Brera returned the bow.

"Thank you. Please look after me in the future." He said, and then stepped over the threshold into the house.

Chapter 06 END


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